A long article but a good read on why there isn't a playoff system. In short: money talks. They shout on talk radio shows, write screeds on message boards and plead with the sports gods in a futile effort to be heard by the faceless Bowl Championship Series. They are the growing number of fans who want a college football playoff. They want it now, dammit. They want to know how to get it done. They want to know who the hell to call. Lucky Jim Delany. The madmen and mad women crying out for the death of the BCS may recognize Delany's name but probably wouldn't recognize his face. They likely have no idea he rose from humble beginnings, took over as commissioner of the Big Ten in 1989 and brokered deals that extended his influence far beyond the Midwest. Chances are they have no clue Delany, 58, has emerged as a man widely considered the most powerful figure in college sports and the biggest obstacle to a Division I-A football playoff. BCS haters may decide Delany is public enemy No. 1. But inside the corridors of college athletics, he is respected, envied and, in some cases, feared. Delany, according to one colleague, can exhibit "Doberman-like aggressiveness." With a bite to match his bark, he has further enriched the wealthiest conferences and cemented the BCS system that has drawn the ire from two of the most powerful men in his own conference – Penn State football coach Joe Paterno and Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr. But as he has done with the public outcry, Delany has largely ignored the coaches' call for a playoff. He readily admits a playoff could be good for Division I-A football at large, but quickly adds, "I don't work for college football at large." From Big Ten headquarters in Chicago, Delany presides over a college sports monarchy. The Big Ten is the nation's biggest conference, a collection of 11 universities that covers an area with almost 25 percent of the nation's TV households and prompts television networks to genuflect. When Delany arrived at ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Conn., this year, employees wore buttons that proclaimed "Bristol is Big Ten Country." Despite the royal treatment, Delany dismisses talk that he is the king of college athletics. But at times one would think he wore a crown. Earlier this year, for example, when Notre Dame's athletic director and the commissioner of the Sun Belt conference devised a plan to modify the BCS, the two men immediately took the idea to Delany. "If you're going to make it work, you've got to get Jim to sign on to it," said Wright Waters, commissioner of the Sun Belt conference. That's one reason playoff advocates have ventured to the Big Ten headquarters and trotted out plan after plan, all of which Delany has sacked. Never mind that a playoff is used to determine the football champion in Division I-AA, Division II and Division III, not to mention every other sport sanctioned by the NCAA. Never mind that the president of the University of Florida has vowed to press the issue with his colleagues. Or that commissioners from the other major conferences now say they're open to the idea of a playoff as it gains traction faster than Adrian Peterson accelerating off tackle. Disregarding the howls for change could test Delany's power. For now, he stands positioned to battle not only the likes of Paterno and Carr, but also the force of public will. Polls show more than 50 percent of college football fans favor a playoff. Those percentages figure to spike now that undefeated Ohio State will play in the BCS title game against one-loss Florida rather than Boise State, which improved to 13-0 after its remarkable, highlight-heavy victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Eventually the consumer will get what he demands, Delany said. But he cites TV ratings and attendance figures as evidence that the consumer has yet to truly demand change. Defending his assertion, Delany said revenue from college football has grown to $900 million from $200 million since 1990; average attendance for Big Ten games has increased to 71,000 from 58,000 over that same period; and the rising TV ratings and sponsorship dollars suggest the game is as healthy as ever. "There's probably more of an outcry than there was 15 years ago for something different. I don't disagree with that," Delany said during a recent interview in Chicago. "But what I've also seen simultaneously is the growth in interest in the BCS and the regular season. "If the public walks away from our games during the regular season and walks away from television during the regular season and walks away from the bowls, they're saying, We won't support this anymore. We want something else.' But I don't see them walking away from anything." MONEY MATTERS... Follow the link for the rest of the article. http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=jo-delany010507&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
What an arrogant ass. A playoff is better for the game, period. A playoff is better for the Big 10, the PAC 10, Big 12, SEC, ACC, Big East, etc. etc. Not only does it raise awareness, it raises a ton more cash. There is no legitimate reason that Division 1 football does not have a playoff system.
It doesn't necessarily means more cash for the big conferences, with the way things are right now, the bigger conferences have a ton of power in not just the BCS but all the bowl games, which in turns means more money for the big conferences. A playoff might change that and I think that's why some of them don't want it. I used to be in the pro-BCS camp, but have started wavering as of late (thank you Boise State). But on the other hand, I can kind of understand why the presidents of the big conferences are hesitant to go away from this system.
This is exactly the argument I was discussing int he Boise State thread; the point of the BCS is if it ain't broke (it's highly profitable), don't fix (tweak) it. Right now, the BCS is the best thing money-wise for college football and revenues have increased every year the BCS has been instituted. The argument is that a playoff would "no doubt" lead to more money. That's no guarantee, so there's no rush to alter anything, especially something as new as the BCS. Once a step toward a playoff is made, there's no turning back. Someone (college football, NCAA, BCS) is discussing the playoff system, but won't publicly discuss it; it would greatly diminish their brand if ANYONE (so far only writers, coaches, players, and fans have expressed disgust...which is basically EVERYONE, but "The Committee" won't) were to admit the BCS isn't perfect. And you can bet Florida president Foley won't be talking for a while since his mouth and pockets will be full of fresh cash. It's no coincidence that money and BCS branding/exposure have increased so much. Keep in mind corporate sponsorships were really being maximized in college when the BCS came about; the first big time corporate bowl was the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl...only 20 years ago. Since no one knows where the limit to corporate money reaches its ceiling, again, there's no rush to alter things. There's room to grow (for new avenues of corporate funding in these games), however if there isn't much left, there won't be annually-increasing sponsorships and payout. In the near future these companies will realize that putting in $10 million as part of a payout (obviously not just one company, but using it as an example) won't bring enough revenue to their products in order to keep financing these games.
Even Delany admits a playoff would be better for college football in general. Just not the big 10. Amazing that when they finally do go to a playoff for the National championship game, it sounds like it's just going to be between the top 4 teams. Terrible. Boise State still wouldn't have had a chance for the title. Gross. I'd like to see a 16 team playoff, but I'm sure that won't happen.
That's what Division I-AA does. You win your conference, you're in. If you don't, you still have a shot at an at large berth. This will NEVER happen, of course. We'll talk about it every year, but it will NEVER happen. It's amazing that the NC is decided by computers and judges. This is FOOTBALL, not gymnastics! Unbelievable.
Makes sense...With a playoff, you wouldn't have the run to the Rose Bowl, "Tostitos" BSC bowl, etc... Without the markee sponsors, a lot of money would be lost...Not going to happen...
I will never understand why it's OK for the other divisions, but not for the main one. I can't even begin to fathom why people don't think that's a great idea. It'd be the most popular sporting event in the country.
